Police-nipper.



J. MURPHY. POLICE NIPPER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17. 1914.

Patented July 7, 1914.

VWEWMM 7 16 Jizmes M77 QM I; WV sum 1K THE NORRIS PETERS CD..PHOTO-LI'IHU,, WASHINGTON, D C" JAMES MURPHY, 0F BRIDG-EPORT,CONNECTICUT.

POLICE-NIPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July *7, 1914.

Application filed lanuary 17, 1914. Serial No. 812,683.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMns MURPHY, citizen ofthe United States, and resident of Bridgeport, in the county ofFairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Police- Nippers, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to new anduseful improvements in nippers such asare employed by policemen and other oiiicers while on duty to grasp andlead a prisoner.

The object of the invention is to generally improve and simplify theconstruction of devices of this sort and to especially provide a nipperwhich may be conveniently operated; to form it so that it may be readilyopened by engaging a trigger with the finger of the hand that grasps thenipper.

lVith the above and other objects in view my invention resides andconsists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts shown uponthe accompanying sheet of drawings forming a part of this specificationand upon which,

Figure 1 shows a top plan view of my improved nipper complete, the samebeing indicated in a closed position. Fig. 2 is a similar top plan viewof the nipper open, and in a position to grasp the wrist of theprisoner. Fig. 3 is a bottom side edge view of the nipper shown inFig. 1. Fig. 4 shows a sectional elevation of the nipper taken on line4& of Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section taken on line 55 ofFig. 1 showing the means for locking the jaws of the nipper together.

As will be noted my improved nipper briefly includes a pair of jawswhich are connected together and normally retained in a closed positionby means of a spring. It also includes a pair of handles that arepivotally connected to the jaws and serves to support the nipper whilein use and likewise to lock and hold the jaws in both an open and closedposition.

Referring in detail to the characters of reference marked upon thedrawings 6 represents the upper or main jaw member and whose outerportion is bowed to form substantially one-half of a circle. Theintermediate portion of the shank 7 of this jaw is straight, while theextreme end portion is enlarged to form a part of a knuckle to which thecorresponding knuckle end of the co-acting jaw 8 is pivotally connected.One

end of a spring 9 is secured to the upper or main jaw by means of ascrew 10 as shown, while the other end is disposed against the underside of the lower or operating jaw 8. A trigger 11 is secured to thelower or operating jaw and is provided with an extended rack 12 thatpasses through the said jaw and also through a suitable opening 13 inthe shanks 7 of the two jaws 6 and 8. The opposite side portions of thisextended rack 12 is provided with a series of teeth 14 as shown in Fig.5 that are engaged by the inner edges of the shanks 15 and 16 connectedto the operating handles as will later be explained. The screw 10 whichsecures the spring 9 to the shank 7 of the upper jaw 6 also serves topivotally connect the two shanks 15 and 16 of the handles 17 and 18 t0the shank of the upper jaw 6 and in a way to permit of a limitedswinging movement of the two said shanks and handles. The amount of thismovement is limited by the size of the holes 19 through the said shanksand through which the before mentioned rack 12 passes. These two handleshanks are formed of sheet metal and lie close together as shown in thedrawings and thus serve to operate in close proximity to each other. Oneof them serves to engage one side of the rack 12, while the other oneserves to engage the other side of the rack in a like manner. Thisengagement is for the purpose of holding the lower jaw of the nipper inan open position, after it has been so set by drawing down upon thebefore mentioned trigger. After being set open the said jaw and rack arequickly released by loosening up on the handles of the nipper which aredrawn outward by the spring 20 seated in the knuckle of the nipper andintermediate of the two shank portions of the handles. The normalposition of the nipper is closed as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, while theopen position shown in Fig. 2 is only maintainedby holding the handlestogether as shown in Fig. 4:. This opening is efiected against theaction of the spring 20 which serves to cause the edges 21 of shanks 15and 16 inside of the opening 19 to engage the teeth or rack 14 and thusprevent the lower jaw from closing, which it would readily do by reasonof the action of its spring if it were not for the said engagement ofthe shanks with the rack. In practice the jaws of the nipper are set inan open position and thus held until the wrist of the prisoner isgrasped, whereupon the handles are sufficiently released to allow thejaws to close around the arm of the prisoner. Then the handles are againtightly grasped in order to hold the jaws in a locked position'. 1

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to securebyLetters latent is:

i 1. VA police nipper of the class described, the same comprising a pairof jaws pivotally connected together, a spring for normally holding thesaid jaws in a closed position, a rack secured to one of the said jaws,a pair of handles connected to the'other jaw and having means to engagethe said rack and hold said jaw in an open position against the actionof the spring,

2. A police nipper of the class described, the same comprising a pair ofjaws pivotally connected together, a spring for holding the same in aclosed position, a pair of handles pivotally connected to one of thesaid jaw members, a trigger secured to the other jaw 'tion.

for operating the same, a rack secured to one jaw and'adapted to engagethe other jaw in a way to hold the jaws in an open position when thehandles are clasped.

3. In a police nipper of the class described, the combination of a pairof jaws ,pivotally connected together, a spring for shank of the otherof said jaws, a pair of handles pivotally connected to one of the saidjaws and having their free edge portions in position to engage the teethof the rack in a manner to lock the same in posi- Signed at Bridgeportin the county of Fail-field and State of Connecticut this 14thWitnesses:

C. M. NEWMAN, RUTH IVL WORDEN.

Copies of thispatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

